Report to the sign in table on June 13-14, 2009 30 minutes before your first game. Please follow the bracket, a Saturday morning booth will be open at 11:30 a.m. on location.

Brackets

Competition brackets are posted at the game site. All teams guaranteed at least two games.

The Field

The game will be played on a softball field

The Equipment

Uniforms- Teams must wear the same shirt.

Ball- The official ball used will be a rubber ball.

Shoes - All games are scheduled to play on a grass field. Footwear should be appropriate to the field of play.

Official RulesTeam

Teams can have 7-11 players. Nine (9) players will compete on a side; others will be available as substitutes.

Substitutes may enter the game only during timeouts or in the case of injury.

Play

The rules of play are similar to baseball.

Each team may have up to 11 players

At least seven (7) players must start each game

A game is 5 innings long or 45 minutes.

The “away” team shall bat first. The “home” team gets last at bat.

If the games end in tie at the end of the regulation time, the field monitors may grant additional inning. If granted, the winner shall be determined by whoever wins the next full inning (Both teams get an at-bats). All players still kick in their respective slot.

The field monitor may call a game due to time if an inning may not reasonably be completed before the 45-minute time limit.

Pitching

The pitcher must pitch from the back rubber (running up to the rubber is not allowed).

A legal pitch must be underhand and no higher than knee level of the batter. Anything higher over the plate is a ball. The height of the last bounce before it crosses home plate determines a strike or ball call.

A pitch may not bounce more than three times before crossing the front plane of home to be a strike.

Fast pitch and curveballs are allowed.

Once the ball is pitched the pitcher may not advance past the rubber

A strike consists of a ball that is rolled over any part of home plate and below knee level.

A “ball” shall be called on anything that does not reach or pass over home plate. 3 “balls” advances the batter 1st base.

Fielding

The catcher must give the batter ample room to bat. The catcher may not break the plane of the front of home plate until the ball is kicked and may not interfere with the batter. An infraction will result in a called ball.

Encroachment (or past the baseline restriction for female and young kickers) results in a no pitch with called ball.

Teams may only rotate in a new catcher once per inning. Once that catcher switches with the initial catcher, he/she must remain there for the remainder of the inning and cannot switch back.

Fielders may not impede the runner’s path to the base. If impeded the runner advances.

Balls thrown at the base runner must be below the shoulders.

Batting/Base running

The batter may not kick the ball until the ball crosses home plate. Kicking the ball before the plate is a strike. The resulting result of a kick over the plate is a dead ball.

Bunting is not allowed.

One base on an overthrow.

Runners must stay in the base path.

Leading off and stealing are not allowed.

Sliding and/or diving are not legal.

After the catch on a fly ball that is caught, the runner must tag up before advancing to the next base. Failure to tag up before advancing results in an out.

Pinch runners are allowed for injured players only. The runner will be the last out of the same sex.

Outs /Fouls

The batting team has three outs per inning.

An out results due to the following:

two strikes

a ball caught on the fly

If a ball hits the kicker in fair territory

base runner is forced out

base runner is hit with ball below shoulders while not on base

A foul ball that is caught but the play is dead: runners may not advance

Leading off/leaving before the ball crosses home.

3.There is an infield fly rule. 4.Fouls are the same as baseball rules

Tournament Standings

A win shall count as two points, a tie as one and losses as zero.

Tie breakers are as follows:

head to head,

runs against opposing teams

runs scored

coin toss.

3. Rules enforced by “honor system” first then the court monitors if the teams cannot come to an agreement. THE COURT MONITOR’S DECISION IS FINAL – NO EXCEPTIONS

Competition Forfeitures and Elimination

Because the Kickball Tournament is a double elimination tournament, teams forfeiting their first game of the tournament are forfeited out of the tournament.

If a team forfeits a game after having already played a game or games in the tournament, that forfeit will be counted as a loss.

Awards Awards will be given to Division Champions

Information For more information contact activities@juneteenthkcmo.org.